Ball holder and dispenser



Feb. 25, 1964 E. A. MENG ETAL 3,122,270

BALL HOLDER AND DISPENSER Filed Aug. 3, 1961 ,2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS vCHRISTIAN 7. SCHEINDEL ERNEST AMENG AGENT Feb. 25, 1964 E. A. MENG ETAL 3,122,270

BALL HOLDER AND DISPENSER Filed Aug. 3, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TORS CHRISTIAN 7. SCHE/NDEL ERNEST AME/VG AGENT United States Patent 3,122,270 BALL HGLDER AND DISPENSER Ernest A. Meng, 11 Adelaide St., Hartford, 001111., and Christian T. Scheindel, Box 87, Vienna, NJ. Filed Aug. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 129,098 2 Claims. (Cl. 221-185) This invention relates to a novel holder and dispenser for game balls. More particularly, it relates to a novel ball holder and dispenser for golf balls which is particularly adapted to hold and dispense a plurality of golf balls and which is particularly adapted to be attached to and carried on a golf bag or a golf cart.

An abiding problem in the game of golf is the lack of an extremely convenient, handy and readily accessible supply of golf balls. Heretofore golfers have had to resort to such measures as carrying golf balls in their pockets, a method which is very unsatisfactory because it is uncomfortable, interferes with the proper concentration needed for the game, and the balls are difficult to remove; or the balls have been carried in pockets in the golf bag, a method which is unsatisfactory because it requires bending to get to the pocket, involves the bother of opening and closing the pocket and usually requires a blind groping for a satisfactory ball; or a number of ball carrying devices have been proposed for attachment to the body, a method which has proved to be unsatisfactory because the presence of such devices interfered with the movements of the golfer and golfers body movements tended to dislodge the balls.

Accordingly, one feature of the present invention is a novel ball holder and dispenser for holding and dispensing a plurality of game balls in a readily accessible, handy and convenient manner.

Another feature of the present invention is a novel ball holder and dispenser having an attachment means thereon especially adapted for securing the ball holder and dispenser to a carrier such as a golf bag or a golf cart, and which can also be attached to the golfers body such as by hooking it to his belt.

Still another feature of the present invention is a novel ball holder and dispenser for game balls wherein the balls are held in a stack or column in a chute and can be dispensed from either the top or bottom of the chute.

Still another feature of the present invention is a novel ball holder and dispenser made of a resilient and springy wire of about the nature of an ordinary coat hanger.

Still another feature of the present invention is a novel ball holder and dispenser having a means thereon for attachment to a carrier such as a bag, cart, or the body, the attachment means being spaced from the holder and dispenser so as to hold it away from the carrier.

Still another feature of the present invention is a novel ball holder and dispenser which is simple and economical to manufacture and which is fashioned out of a single length of continuous wire bent into the desired shape.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of the ball holder and dispenser of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the ball holder and dispenser of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the ball holder and dispenser of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view of the unformed wire from which the present ball holder and dispenser is formed.

Referring first to FIG. 4, the wire from which the present ball holder and dispenser is formed is originally in an oblong shape consisting of substantially parallel legs 12 and 14 joined by curved portions 16 and 18. Curved portions 16 and 18 are preferably semi-circular.

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The wire 10 is a continuous piece, being joined at 20 by brazing or some other convenient form of attachment, and the wire 10 is resilient and springy being of the general nature of an ordinary wire coat hanger, the wire preferably being 1018 cold rolled steel of /s inch diameter.

To form the ball holder and dispenser of the present invention, wire 10 is bent to form the structure shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. That is, wire 10 is bent to form a pair of parallel front legs 22 joined at the top by curved portion 16 and a pair of parallel rear legs 24. The front legs 22 are joined at their bottoms to the bottoms of rear legs 24 by curved portions 26 which are preferably semi-circular in shape. The legs 24 extend above the legs 22 and meld into curved portions 24a (preferably semi-circular) extending from legs 24 away from legs 22 and downwardly extending portions 24b in spaced relation with legs 24. The portions 242: are joined by curved portion 18. A crimp 25 at the corresponding point in each leg 24 reduces the distance between legs 24 and downwardly extending portions 24b to form a plane of reduced distance therebetween.

The rear legs 24 are directly behind the front legs 22, and all of the legs are parallel to each other. The legs 22 and 24 cooperate to form an elongated pocket or chute in the shape of a square column in which golf balls 28 are stacked in a single column. FIGS. 1-3 show a ball holder and dispenser in which a stack of three golf balls are held and in which the length of the legs is approximately three times the distance between the legs. However, it should be apparent that the ball holder and dispenser can be designed to accommodate any number of balls greater than two. Therefore, a limiting dimension of the ball holder and dispenser is that the length of the legs be at least twice the distance between the legs along the sides of the square.

The legs 22 and 24 are spaced to form the corners of a square in cross section, and therefore each leg is equidistant from two other legs. The legs 22 and 24 are spaced to form in cross section a square having a diagonal approximately equal to the diameter of the golf ball, the distance between the legs along the sides of the square being approximately 0.707 times the diameter of the golf ball.

As has been previously stated, the curved portions 16, 18, and 26 are preferably semicircular, and they preferably have a radius of one half the distance between the legs, or 0.707 times the radius of the golf ball.

It will be apparent that the legs 22 and 24 and the curved portions 16 and 26 form a pocket or chute in the shape of an elongated column in which a stack of golf balls are snugly fitted and held in place. The wire from which the ball holder and dispenser of the present invention is formed is resilient and springy, and the legs 22 and 24 act as finger springs.

The golf balls held between the legs 22 and 24 can be removed from either end of the ball holder and dispenser. A ball can be removed from the bottom by the golfer applying a downward force on the ball cradled in the bottom of the pocket or chute. This force will cause the bottom sides of the ball holder and dispenser to be displaced or swung outwardly. That is, the sides, each of which consists of a leg 22, a leg 24, and a curved portion 26, will be pivoted about the tops of the legs away from each other. Also, the spreading of the sides of the ball holder and dispenser accompanying the extraction of a ball from the bottom will release the snug fit on the upper balls and allow the upper balls to descend toward the bottom of the pocket. Since the wire from which the ball holder and dispenser is formed is resilient and springy, the legs 22 and 24 will return to their normal parallel position when the largest part of the ball passes out of the bottom of the pocket. The ball holder and dispenser will a then be in a condition to dispense another ball, each ball having descended one place so that another ball is in the bottom of the pocket.

A ball can also be removed from the top of the ball holder and dispenser by applying an upward force on the uppermost ball. This force will cause the front legs 22 and the rear legs 24 to be spread or pivoted about the bottom of the legs away from each other as the uppermost ball is removed. The legs will return to their normal parallel position after the largest part of the ball passes curved portion 16.

The uppermost part of legs 24, curved portions 24a, downwardly depending portions 24!; and crirnps 25 form an attaching means for securing the ball holder and dispenser to a carrier such as a golf bag or a golf cart, or to the body of the golfer if desired. Portions 24b are in spaced relation to legs 24, and the crimps 25 in each leg 24 form a span of reduced distance between legs 24 and portions 24b. The crimps 25 extend beyond the balls 28. Hence, the crirnps cooperate with the portions 245 to pinch or grab the carrier and secure the ball holder and dispenser thereto. Furthermore, since the crimps 25 extend beyond the balls 28, the legs 24 and the balls are held slightly away from the carrier. This prevents movement of the carrier, whether it be a golf bag, a cart, or the golfer, from rubbing against or acting on the balls and inadvertently dislodging a ball. The crimps 25 are preferably at the height of or above the front legs 22 and the curved portion 16, this location of the crimps contributing to hold the ball holder and dispenser away from the carrier without impairing the retention or" the uppermost ball. Also, a slight discontinuity at the junction of curved portion 24a and portion 24b assists in the clamping action of the attaching means.

Hence, it should now be apparent that we have invented and disclosed a novel ball holder and dispenser for game balls, particularly golf balls, which provides a convenient, handy and readily accessible supply of balls without in terfering with or burdening the player in any way.

To avoid any possible scuffing of the golf balls and to provide any desired coloring of the ball holder and dispenser, a coating of plastic can be applied to the ball holder and dispenser such as by dipping it in a bath of molten plastic and then allowing it to dry, or it can be plated if desired.

Although the present invention is particularly adapted for use in the game of golf, it is to be understood that it can be adapted for other games using balls; and it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment herein illustrated and described, but may be used in other ways without departure from its spirit as defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. A ball holder and dispenser comprising a first pair of resilient legs, a second pair of resilient legs, all of said legs being parallel to each other and forming the corners of a square of constant cross section along the length of said legs, the length of each of said legs being at least twice the distance between the legs of a pair of legs, a first arcuate member extending between and joining the bottom of one leg of said first pair of legs to the bottom of one leg of said second pair of legs, a second arcuate member extending between and joining the bottom of the other leg of said first pair of legs to the bottom of the other leg of said second pair of legs, a third arcuate member extending between and joining the tops of said first pair of legs, said legs and said arcuate members forming a chute having an open bottom and an open top for holding a plurality of spherical balls of equal size and of a diameter greater than a side of the square formed by said legs, said legs being parallel to each other when balls are held in said chute, and means extending from said second pair of legs for attaching said ball holder and dispenser to a carrier.

2. A ball holder and dispenser comprising a first pair of resilient legs, a second pair of resilient legs, all of said legs being substantially parallel to each other and form'- ing the corners of a square, the length of each of said legs being at least twice the distance between the legs of a pair of legs, a first arcuate member extending between and joining the bottom of one leg of said first pair of legs to the bottom of one leg of said second pair of legs, a second arcuate member extending between and joining the bottom of the other le of said first pair of legs to the bottom of the other leg of said second pair of legs, a third arcuate member extending between and joining the tops of said first pair of legs, said legs and said arcuate members forming a chute having an open bottom and an open top for holding a plurality of spherical balls of equal size and of a diameter greater than a side of the square formed by said legs, means extending from said second pair of legs for attaching said ball holder and dispenser to a carrier, said second pair of legs extending upwardly beyond the top of said first pair of legs, and said attaching means including downwardly depending members extending from the tops of the legs of said second pair of legs and in spaced relation to said second pair of legs on the side thereof removed from said first pair of legs, and a crimp in each leg of said second pair of legs extending toward said downwardly depending members toreduce the spacing between said second pair of legs and said downwardly depending members at one point therebeween, said crimps being above the tops of said first pair of legs and extending beyond the balls held in said ball a holder and dispenser.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A BALL HOLDER AND DISPENSER COMPRISING A FIRST PAIR OF RESILIENT LEGS, A SECOND PAIR OF RESILIENT LEGS, ALL OF SAID LEGS BEING PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER AND FORMING THE CORNERS OF A SQUARE OF CONSTANT CROSS SECTION ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID LEGS, THE LENGTH OF EACH OF SAID LEGS BEING AT LEAST TWICE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE LEGS OF A PAIR OF LEGS, A FIRST ARCUATE MEMBER EXTENDING BETWEEN AND JOINING THE BOTTOM OF ONE LEG OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF LEGS TO THE BOTTOM OF ONE LEG OF SAID SECOND PAIR OF LEGS, A SECOND ARCUATE MEMBER EXTENDING BETWEEN AND JOINING THE BOTTOM OF THE OTHER LEG OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF LEGS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE OTHER LEG OF SAID SECOND PAIR OF LEGS, A THIRD ARCUATE MEMBER EXTENDING BETWEEN AND JOINING THE TOPS OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF LEGS, SAID LEGS AND SAID ARCUATE MEMBERS FORMING A CHUTE HAVING AN OPEN BOTTOM AND AN OPEN TOP FOR HOLDING A PLURALITY OF SPHERICAL BALLS OF EQUAL SIZE AND OF A DIAMETER GREATER THAN A SIDE OF THE SQUARE FORMED BY SAID LEGS, SAID LEGS BEING PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER WHEN BALLS ARE HELD IN SAID CHUTE, AND MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID SECOND PAIR OF LEGS FOR ATTACHING SAID BALL HOLDER AND DISPENSER TO A CARRIER. 